The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Air quality concerns in light of bush-fires haze
TENNIS: Player who overcame cancer critical of Australian Open organisers
A tennis player who overcame cancer last year has spoken of her concerns about poor air quality at the Australian Open.
American Nicole Gibbs played her first-round qualifying match on Tuesday, when a smoky haze from Australia’s bush-fire crisis descended on Melbourne, resulting in several players needing treatment for respiratory issues and one retirement.
Gibbs battled past Cristina Bucsa in three sets but said she had difficulty regaining her breath and felt lightheaded.
The 26-year-old missed two months of the season last summer after a visit to the dentist resulted in a diagnosis of cancer of the salivary gland. She needed a feeding tube for several weeks but has since made a full recovery.
“Maybe I’m a little more paranoid than I would have been a year ago,” said Gibbs.
“I do have a macro sense of my health that maybe I didn’t have before. I think we all feel a little bit immortal, we’re all young and professional athletes, take really great care of our bodies, so you don’t really think anything can happen to you.
“But just having that reality check definitely makes me a little bit more sensitive.”
Tournament director Craig Tiley spoke to reporters yesterday and clarified the Australian Open’s policy on the issue.
After seeking advice from medical and environmental experts as well as other sports, organisers settled on an acceptable level of particulate matter of 200 micrograms per cubic metre of air, which is regarded as unhealthy but, according to Tiley, lower than the threshold in other sports.
Gibbs’ big criticism of organisers was a lack of information, leaving players unsure what the readings were and the associated risks.
Anger appears to have grown rather than dissipated since Tuesday, with British player Liam Broady saying on Twitter that the decision to go ahead with matches “boils my blood”.
Meanwhile Coco Gauff was sensationally drawn against Venus Williams again in the first round.
It was victory over Williams for then 14-year-old qualifier Gauff at the same stage of Wimbledon that catapulted the American teenager to global stardom.
Johanna Konta, the highest-ranked British player, is seeded 12th but has been struggling with a knee injury and was given a tricky assignment against dangerous Tunisian Ons Jabeur.
Katie Boulter’s return to Grand Slam tennis after six months out with a back injury will come against fifth seed Elina Svitolina, while Heather Watson takes on Kristyna Pliskova.
In the men’s event, British No 1 Dan Evans has been drawn to face American Mackenzie McDonald.
It was confirmed shortly before the draw that Evans will be the 30th seed for the tournament, the first time he has been among the top 32 at a Grand Slam.
Kyle Edmund was given a tricky first assignment against 24th seed Dusan Lajovic, fresh from his ATP Cup triumph with Serbia, while Cameron Norrie will take on France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Djokovic opens against dangerous German Jan-Lennard Struff while Roger Federer, who is in the same half as the Serbian, meets American Steve Johnson.
Number one seed Rafael Nadal will face Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien.